Gotham: First Look!!!

In 1997 Batman and Robin came to cinemas and for many, that film sounded the death knell for Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, at least as far as live action was concerned. It took Christopher Nolan, nearly a decade later, to resurrect the series with his reboot trilogy which took Batman back to his very dark beginnings. As far as films go, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight rises set the tone for a darker, edgier superhero that has changed the way that comic books are adapted for the silver screen. The revived Superman series wouldn't have happened were it not for Christopher Nolans Batman in my opinion. His vision didn't only shape the way comics are adapted for the big screen, it also shaped the way they are adapted for television. The recent Arrow series as well as The Flash are great examples of this. Gone are the cartoon villains and surreal plots to be replaced by characters that could have a place in our own world. It's evident that Gotham is heavily influenced by these ideas right from the off!

The young Cat-Woman

     From the outside you may be forgiven for thinking that Gotham is a Batman origin story, that it's about how a young Bruce Wayne became The Dark Knight. The truth is that it's about much more than that. The basic storyline revolves around Detective James Gordon (played magnificently by Gary Oldman in the Nolan films) now a rookie cop with a desire to clean up Gotham City. He's hindered on all sides by the likes of the mayor, his fellow cops and some familiar names within the Batman mythology and thats what this series is really about, the bad guys. Comic book geeks will revel in the multiple easter eggs dotted about regarding some of Gotham City's best known villains. In the first episode alone I caught references to The Joker, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, The Riddler and Cat-Woman although I'm sure that a second viewing will reveal more.

Poison Ivy maybe?

     The casting directors have done a great job with their casting of some truly iconic characters. Ben McKenzie is a great choice for the 'lead' of James Gordon. He kind of makes the role his own although it's evident that he's been inspired by Gary Oldmans portrayal of the character. Robin Lloyd Taylor tackles Oswald Cobblepot and he is inspired casting. In the show, no secret is made of the fact that his character will one day become The Penguin with multiple references and he's an extremely watchable character because of this. He dominates the screen whenever he appears with a disturbingly beautiful performance!

The Penguin in action!

James Gordon wants to 'clean up' Gotham

     The feel of Gotham is spot on with a film noir kind of feel to it. Despite the fact that it's set in modern day it has a seventies kind of look to it and it's influences are pretty clear. This is more Nolan than Burton, more Arrow than The New Adventures of Superman. This is not a series that pulls its punches as is shown early on with the grisly murder of Bruce Wayne's parents! It's a series that has huge potential going forward and is a must for your Sky Planner this autumn. Whether you're well versed in the Batman universe or completely new to the character I'm sure that Gotham will appeal to you.

Rating

Oh, a very easy 5/5. Even though it's early days this series is more than capable of spawning multiple series's. With a great cast and a treasure trove of iconic villains at it's disposal, Gotham has a very bright future ahead of it.